A little motivation Pooh…

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up. 

A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

GREAT Resource for Work-At-Home Moms

I just had to spread the word about this new book from my friend Jill Hart! Jill knows what she is talking about because she’s run a successful business from home for almost a decade. HIGHLY recommended resource! : ) * * * * * * * * Home-based businesses are estimated to be a $427 billion-a-year industry. In recent studies it was found that as many as 105 million people in North America alone were working at home. Considering this information, it is obvious that home-based businesses can be successful and authors Jill Hart and Diana Ennen will help you succeed with your own. So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom details all the basics of starting a business in a spiritual, motivational, and comprehensive manner. From deciding what type of business to start to keeping your family and faith first, this helpful tool details every aspect of establishing a business. With proven success tips utilized by the authors and others who own work-at-home businesses, this inspiration approach will provide you with the resources you need to start your own home-based business. So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom includes: * Detailed information on types of businesses to start * Ideas and assistance for setting up, operating, and marketing your business * Definitions and descriptions of work-at-home terminology and processes * Help for developing your Website * Explanations of the business nuts and bolts, including bookkeeping, taxes, and more About the Authors JILL HART is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom. Jill has published many articles and is a contributing author in Laundry Tales, The Business Mom Guide Book, I'll Be Home for Christmas, and Faith Deployed. She holds a bachelor's degree in human development and family studies. Learn more about working from home at http://www.cwahm.com/work-at-home/ . DIANA ENNEN has been a leader and mentor in the work-at-home industry since starting her business, Virtual Word Publishing, in 1985. She is the author of many books, including Virtual Assistant the Series; Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and Words from Home: Start, Run, and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing Business. She resides in Margate, Florida, with her husband and their three children.   Below is an interview with the authors of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom – Jill & Diana. If have questions they are happy to answer your questions anytime. Leave a comment below or email Jill@cwahm.com or Diana@virtualwordpublishing.com How long have you been working at home? Jill Hart - I've been working at home since 2000. I had to go back to work full-time for a brief period in 2003 when my husband got out of the Air Force. At that point I got even more serious about making my business work and I've been home full-time since then. Diana Ennen – I’ve been working at home since 1985, when my son was born. He’s now graduated college and already working towards his own career. I absolutely love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else.   What types of businesses do you operate? Jill Hart – I run Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com, a website full of free resources, job listings and information about home businesses. I also write articles and books (yes, more books to come!) and am a blogger for sites like Time/Warner's Christian Momlogic.com and a member of the Guideposts blogger team Diana Ennen– I’m the President of Virtual Word Publishing. I’m a virtual assistant and specialize in marketing & publicity. I’ve also written numerous books on how to start a VA business and offer PR and VA Coaching.   Tell us about your book? How do you think it can benefit those who want to start a business? Jill Hart - The book has been such a "God thing." He orchestrated the entire sequence of events - from putting Diana and I together as co-authors to bringing us to the right publisher. The book is a hands-on practical guide for anyone who wants to build a business from home. We cover topics ranging from how to select the right type of business for you, to how to get started, to how to market and grow your business. Diana Ennen - I think one of the best features of our book is that it’s not only informative, but motivational as well. You’ll feel like friends are helping you on your journey to success. Also, we discuss numerous types of businesses to start and provide proven methods to achieve success. We also often hear how starting a business can be so overwhelming. That’s why we pay special attention to all the how tos. We feel very confident our book will help, not only those starting a business, but those already in business wanting to expand it.   What types of businesses are featured in your book? Jill Hart - We have such a great range of contributors - everything from direct sales companies like Southern Living at Home and Avon to unique product-driven businesses like BSM Media and GrillCharms. These woman are amazing and give readers a great insight into how they've grown their businesses in very different ways. Diana Ennen - We cover everything from direct sales companies to specialized areas such as medical transcription and virtual assisting. Also, Jill shares detailed information on starting a community based membership site. We think you’ll get a lot of helpful tips too from such work-at-home powerhouses as Maria Bailey and Lesley Spencer Pyle.   Do you have any tips for success for Christian entrepreneurs that you’d like to share? Jill Hart - I think my favorite tip - shared with me by one of our contributors, Tammy Degenhart, almost ten years ago is that working together benefits everyone. She told me, "Jill, what you give to others God brings back tenfold" and I've seen that hold true time and time again. It may not be in financial gains and it may not look like what we expected but God is so faithful in that when we work together there is no competition - it's a win-win situation. Diana Ennen - Do what you believe in and use your own skills and prior experience to find the business that’s just right for you. Research/Research/Research. The more you research, the better your business. Continue to market and be out there. So many once they find a few clients stop marketing. You need to get out there continually. You then become the go to person when someone needs services or products that you offer.   What are some of the challenges that you see with those starting or operating a business? Jill Hart – In my experience, I've talked with many women who get frustrated because success doesn't come easily or quickly. Working from home may sound easy, but in reality it can actually be just as hard as working outside the home. There are many unique challenges, especially when working at home while raising children. If women don't prepare themselves, they can become discouraged and disheartened. Diana Ennen– One of the major challenges I see is losing belief in yourself that you can do it. That’s why I think a faith-based book will be so beneficial. Even when times get tough, you can rely on your faith to forge ahead.   With the economy, do you believe it’s still a good time to start a business? Why? Jill Hart – I think it's a better time than ever. The internet is so much more widely used than it was even nine years ago when I began my website. If people do their research and find a company that fits them as well as their budget this can be a great time to break into the work-at-home field. Diana Ennen – Absolutely. In fact, I think there’s never been a better time. You might have to work a little harder, but it absolutely can be done. Plus, there are so many businesses who need us more than ever because of the economy. For example, with virtual assistants because businesses are downsizing they are seeking the help of a VA to help on an as needed basis.   Your book is written from a Christian perspective? Tell us a little about that and how you feel that makes it so unique? Jill Hart – My faith is central to who I am and therefore central to my business. I began Christian Work at Home Moms because I wanted women to have a safe place where they could discuss not only business things, but also talk about an area that doesn't get talked about a lot in business circles - how our faith affects our businesses. The book is written in a way that doesn't hit anyone over the head with our faith, but it's true to who we are and talks about things from the vantage point that we see life - through the lens of our faith. Diana Ennen – There are so many books out there today on starting a business. However, few have the Christian mom in mind. We provide a lot of scriptures and examples of how you can use your faith to help you. Our hope is that not only will your business thrive, but it might just give a little boost to your faith as well. Learn more about the book at Beacon Hill Press or SoYouWantToBeAWAHM.com.

Sentimental Journey

So what’s cluttering up your storage space for sentimental reasons?

• Maybe it’s the Easter Bunny canister from your Aunt Shirley…
• Or that needlepoint plaque stitched by your college roommate as a wedding gift…
• It might even be a box of greeting cards from Christmas’ past.

Although sentimental items have served no useful purpose for many years, you are loathe to get rid of them because of the person or memories attached the the objects.

If this scenario sounds familiar, I’d like to pass along a piece of wisdom it took me way too long to understand.

People are not their stuff. And just because you are getting rid of gift from a cherished friend or relative, doesn’t mean you are getting rid of the relationship – or the memory.

I think it’s also important to remember that we are not honoring a person by stashing their gift in a box in the basement. Instead, pass these items along to a friend or charity so someone else can use and enjoy them.

Isn’t this is a better way to honor those who are dear to you?

LEAN AND GREEN TIP

Save a tree – or maybe a forest!

You can find up-to-date information on just about any subject on the web -- so WHY are you allowing paper clutter up your files?

Toss your piles into the recycle bin -- then dress your clean desk with a vase of fresh flowers.

A WONDERFUL RESOURCE FOR A DIFFICULT TIME

My dear friend and mentor, Cecil Murphey has written a book to help you through one of the most difficult roads a family can travel – When Someone You Love has Cancer. Written with the compassion of someone who has traveled the same road, I highly recommend this book.

 

 

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

When Shirley walked in from the garage, she didn't have to say a word: I read the diagnosis in her eyes. I grabbed her and held her tightly for several seconds. When I released her, she didn't cry. The unshed tears glistened, but that was all.
I felt emotionally paralyzed and helpless, and I couldn't understand my reaction. After all, I was a professional. As a former pastor and volunteer hospital chaplain I had been around many cancer patients. I'd seen people at their lowest and most vulnerable. As a writing instructor, I helped one woman write her cancer-survival book. Shirley and I had been caregivers for Shirley's older sister for months before she died of colon cancer.

All of that happened before cancer became personal to me--before my wife learned she needed a mastectomy. To make it worse, Shirley was in the high-risk category because most of her blood relatives had died of some form of cancer. Years earlier, she had jokingly said, "In our family we grow things."

In the days after the diagnosis and before her surgery, I went to a local bookstore and to the public library. I found dozens of accounts, usually by women, about their battle and survival. I pushed aside the novels that ended in a person's death. A few books contained medical or technical information. I searched on-line and garnered useful information--but I found nothing that spoke to me on how to cope with the possible loss of the person I loved most in this world.

A PICTURE OF ORGANIZATION

  One of my pet peeves is having to tear through storage containers to find something. That’s one of the reasons a label-maker is a professional organizer’s best friend.

But what about when a label like ”Christmas Decorations” is too generic?

I’ve found that taking a quick photo of the contents – and attaching it to the outside of the container – is a simple and effective solution. This is also an easy way to help children who can’t read learn to put away their toys.

An added benefit is that you’ll have a record of the contents of those containers in case of a fire or flood. Just be sure to back up your photos and keep the files in a safe place.

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MIDWEEK MOTIVATION

“Dwell in possibility.” - Emily Dickinson

LEAN AND GREEN TIP

Looking for a quick update for lighting fixtures without buying new? If the lights still work, it is amazing the transformation you can make with a can of spray paint.

Instead of replacing the dated shiny brass light on my back porch, I bought a can of exterior spray paint made to adhere to metal. I chose Krylon’s H20 Latex in black – but there are MANY choices – even hammered finishes.

You might be wondering, as I did, if using spray paint at all can be considered a “green” choice. Here’s an article that convinced me that my project met the criteria for being both lean (reusing rather than buying something new) and green (environmentally-friendly).

  Krylon’s H20 Latex™, the first 100 percent acrylic latex spray paint, contributes 55 percent less to smog pollution than most solvent-based spray paints. It can be safely sprayed indoors with ventilation.

The Smart Traveler

With airlines charging fees for checked baggage, it pays to keep what you pack for your trip to a minimum. One way to save space is to keep in mind that most hotels today offer amenities to help lighten your load. Here are a few things you likely won’t have to tuck in your suitcase:

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Body lotion
• Soap or body wash
• Hairdryer
• Alarm clock
• Pool towels
• Iron and ironing board

Some hotels also offer also offer robes, slippers, shower caps, sewing kits and shoe shine necessities.  Check with your hotel’s website before you leave to see what items they offer for their guests and you’ll likely save space, money – and have room for an extra pair of cute shoes.  : )

MIDWEEK MOTIVATION

“You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

A.A. Milne (Christopher Robin to Pooh)

LEAN & GREEN

 

Just because you are getting rid of the clutter in your home, doesn’t mean you have to clutter up the environment. So be sure to stop by on Tuesdays for tips that offer a TRIPLE THREAT.

Save money. Save the environment. And put the clamp on clutter.

LEAN AND GREEN TIP #1

Instead of sending your old plastic ice cube trays to the landfill, recycle them as sorters for jewelry or small craft items.

Ice cube trays are just the right height to slip into a shallow drawer – and much less expensive than the dividers made specifically for this purpose.

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Monday’s Clutter Communiqué

 

Wondering what to do with your old computer equipment?

Recycle here: http://tinyurl.com/cuemss

UPDATE for my Omaha Clutter Buddies: Angels on Wheels, a ministry to the homeless in Omaha, also collects old computers & equipment. Contact them at donate@angelsonwheels.org.

 

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“RE-SEASON” YOUR CLOSET

How is it that we (women) often find ourselves with a closet full of clothes and NOTHING to wear?

A word advice. Don’t ask your husband or boyfriend this question. Men have trouble understanding a woman’s secret desire to put those little size rings in their closets like they have in department stores. Maybe something like – 8, 10, 12, “none of your business.” It would make it so much simpler to find those clothes we MIGHT fit into one of these days.

As your clutter coach, I have a better idea. First, spend an hour or two today replacing the winter clothes in your closet with spring duds. While you are at it, remove all clothes that…

• don’t fit or are not flattering;
• you don’t like or are uncomfortable;
• are stretched out, shrunken, faded or stained;
• you haven’t worn for a year; and
• need to repaired or dry cleaned.*

If you do this with detachment, you will have a closet full of clothes that you can wear. On the other hand, if your closet is empty - you have an excuse to go shopping.

I so love a happy ending. : )

*Put these items aside to make necessary repairs or drop off at the dry cleaners.

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TRUE CONFESSION FRIDAY

One of the first things we learn as a professional organizer is the importance of making lists. Unfortunately, I am soooo not a ‘list” type of girl. I had convinced myself that making lists takes away the “spontaneity” of life. The zest. The fun.

It’s also not fun to find that you’ve forgotten to buy eggs for the third time at the grocery store. Or toilet paper.

Just as our homes can easily become cluttered, so can our minds. And as we age, there’s much less room for clutter. We have enough trouble remembering our cell phone number.

So… I’ve made myself become a list person.  And one of my first lists was a magnetized pad on the refrigerator to jot down needed grocery items.

I love this list for many reasons. It’s cute. it’s funny. And it works.

My favorite list, however, is my ‘NOT to-do list.” More about that in an upcoming post.

Do you use lists? If so, what’s your favorite?

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COOL TOOL

 

Great tool to organize your junk drawer - http://tinyurl.com/dd8ndx.

MIDWEEK MOTIVATION

 

 

“Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget about everything except what you're going to do now - and do it.“

William Durant

CUT DOWN ON PAPER PILE-UP

An interesting statistic from the Consumer Research institute…

Americans throw away 44% of junk mail unopened yet still spend 8 months per lifetime opening bulk mail.

Surely you can find better things do do with those eight months, right?

So -- put a trash can and shredder near the door to eliminate junk mail before it comes into the house.

Even better – cut down on how much junk mail you receive by contacting Direct Mail Marketing Association Consumer Choice.

 

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UNCLUTTER YOUR SCHEDULE

There’s nothing that can lead to burnout faster than a packed schedule or to-do list.  This week – give yourself some space.

1. Look at your calendar.
2. Eliminate one activity. (Come on – you can do it!)
3. Enjoy the break.

You will be surprised how giving yourself a little margin will improve your outlook – and productivity.

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Sunday’s Clutter Communiqué

Having trouble getting family members to let go of their stuff? 

Place a box for charitable donations in a convenient place. Then ask each family member to bless others by contributing one useable item each week.

“One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” Proverbs 11:24

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Stash it? Trash it? Or CASH it?

Too much stuff? You’re not alone.

Our families are getting smaller – but the top reason people move into a larger home is so they’ll have more room for their stuff.

Combine that with another scary statistic… the average person spends 4 1/2 hours a week looking for stuff they can’t find.

Sigh.

I can think of many things I’d rather be doing this week than looking for a lost shoe.

So – if you are sick of the clutter but don’t know what to do with it – listen up. The next few weeks, I’ll provide some guidance.

CASH IT

Give the stuff you’re not using to a charitable organization and reap the rewards on April 15th.

Inventory your donation using It’s Deductible and you’ll be amazed what that bag of stuff gleaned from your closet is worth. And, never fear, the resale value of non-cash donations in It’s Deductible has the stamp of approval from the IRS.

The first year I used this tool, we were able to claim $5,124 in non-cash charitable contributions.  A lower tax bill – AND a clean closet.

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The Accidental Cook

I decided to clean out the freezer this afternoon and, as usual, found a few items lurking in the back that needed to be used. Sooner rather than later.

Here's what I had:

• 1 bag of mixed berries -- (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
• 1 container of Cool Whip light
• 1 small can of unsweetened orange juice

So now I was faced with a few options.

I could flip through my cookbooks to find a recipe using these ingredients. I was thinking Berry Cobbler. But I'm trying to watch my weight and wasn't willing to pay for that indulgence on the treadmill.

So I decided to Google "recipe using mixed berries, orange juice and whipped topping" -- and found this recipe for Mixed Berry Tartlets at Judy's Kitchen. But it had 14 ingredients -- seven which I didn't have. Plus it involved pie crust -- and who wants to fool around with pie crust on a Friday?

By now the frozen berries are starting to melt on the counter.

Sigh.

I decided to just toss the whole mess in the blender. I also added some diet peach Snapple and Splenda because it needed a little "something" and that's what I had on the counter.

Surprisingly... the result is REALLY good. Especially considering that it is also pretty good for you.

So here's the recipe in case you'd like to clean out your freezer too.

Cyndy's "Clean out your Freezer" Dessert

• 1 bag of mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) -- or any kind of frozen fruit
• 1 container of Cool Whip light
• 1 small can of unsweetened orange juice
• 1/2 bottle diet peach Snapple -- or any other clear beverage you have sitting around like lemonade, diet Sprite, water, Crystal Lite
• Splenda to taste

Process in a blender. Freeze. Thaw slightly before serving.

TIP: For a nice presentation, freeze in clear plastic cups (6-8 oz.) and top with a sprig of mint.

Of course, I don't have any mint growing here in Nebraska this time of year -- but I think it would be a pretty garnish if I did.

Sigh.

New Uses for Coffee Filters

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave.
Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows and mirrors.  Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China. - Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. - If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. - Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. - Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. - After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. - Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. - Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. - Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a popsicle from dripping. - Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we use expensive strips to wax eyebrows? - Use strips of coffee filters.

13. Put a few on a plate and put your fried bacon, French

fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc. on them.. - Soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. - They make great razor nick fixers.

A RESOLUTION WORTH KEEPING

"I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." Job 42:5

Good intentions. Our lives are full of them. And when it comes to finding time to spend one-on-one time with God, the proverbial "road" is paved with them.

If you are experiencing a similar struggle, I'll give you the same challenge a wise friend gave me. One day, after patiently listening to my litany of excuses for not having a daily devotional time, my friend surprised me with a simple question.

"Cyndy do you have seven minutes in your day that you could set aside to spend with God?"

"Seven minutes?" I asked. "What good is seven minutes?" Admittedly, I was a little skeptical as she laid out her plan…

1. Spend the first 30 seconds asking God to quiet your heart and give you a teachable spirit.
2. Spend the next four minutes reading the Bible. Read whatever you like. The Bible tells as that ALL Scripture is "God breathed" and useful for teaching and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
3. For the remaining time (2 ½ minutes) PRAY.

P – Praise God for who He is what He means to you.

R – Repent of your sins – and accept God's forgiveness.

A- Ask God to provide what you need. Pray about the big things and the little things. One time I asked for a better attitude about laundry (I HATE laundry…) and God led me to Genesis 2:25, "They were naked and not ashamed."

Y – Yield. This is the hardest for most of us. Allow God to order your day. Lord, THY will be done – not MY will.

Can you find seven minutes in your day to spend with God?

 

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